ICE took to Facebook this week, posting a photo of one of their black SUVs parked on a Chicago rooftop, along with this caption:
“CHICAGO: a sanctuary city that attracts and protects criminal illegal aliens to the detriment of law-abiding citizens. In an ICE-led operation, we are here to remove these dangerous public safety threats from American communities.”
At first glance, the post looks tough and decisive. But strip away the rhetoric, and what’s left is the same recycled fearmongering that has fueled ICE’s mission creep for years. The agency wants Americans to believe that sanctuary cities like Chicago are magnets for crime. The facts tell a very different story.
What Sanctuary Really Means
Chicago’s sanctuary policies do not give violent offenders a free pass. What they do is prevent local police from acting as ICE deputies in routine cases. City resources aren’t diverted into immigration dragnets, but if someone is convicted of a serious crime, ICE still has full authority to act.
The city’s “Welcoming City Ordinance” and the Illinois Trust Act both make clear: local police are not in the business of turning over everyday residents to ICE. That builds trust so victims and witnesses will actually talk to police instead of living in fear of deportation.
The Data Doesn’t Lie
For years, peer-reviewed studies have found no evidence that sanctuary cities see higher crime rates. In fact, some research shows they are safer, with stronger economies and healthier communities. And time and again, data show that immigrants — regardless of status — are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens.
ICE cherry-picks extreme cases to justify blanket raids. Yes, dangerous individuals exist, and they should face justice. But those cases are the exception, not the rule. Pretending otherwise is political theater.
Militarizing Communities Hurts Everyone
What ICE doesn’t say is how their raids impact real neighborhoods. Communities go quiet when agents prowl streets in SUVs or stage operations out of military bases. Victims stop reporting abuse. Witnesses stop coming forward. Families live in fear. And public safety suffers.
That’s why thousands of Chicagoans have already marched against ICE’s escalations. They know safety isn’t built through fear. It’s built through trust, cooperation, and fairness.
The Real Public Safety Threat
ICE’s Facebook post wasn’t about protecting “law-abiding citizens.” It was about manufacturing consent for more militarization. It was about selling a narrative that immigrants are dangerous and sanctuary cities are lawless.
But the real danger comes from demonizing whole communities to score political points. It comes from treating cities like enemy territory instead of homes to millions of working families.
The Bottom Line
Chicago is not a threat to America. Fearmongering federal agencies are. Sanctuary cities aren’t “harboring criminals” — they’re protecting the principles of trust and fairness that actually keep communities safe.
ICE can keep posting SUVs and soundbites. The rest of us will keep insisting on facts.
Texas Reporter 